City: Chennai

According to the web site of the Greater Chennai Corporation, it is “headed by Mayor, who presides over 200 councillors, each of whom represents one of the 200 wards of the city.” The point is, where are they? The term of the last Council and, concurrently, that of the Mayor, expired in October 2016. Ever since, we have been administered by the Commissioner, in his capacity as a Special Officer. It is, therefore, more than a year since we have had elected representatives to handle civic issues. Not many in the city appear to be bothered, but in the long…

From regular meetings by political parties, to cultural festivals, panel discussions or programmes in schools -- hundreds of events are hosted in the Chennai metropolis every day. While they add much to the vibrancy of life in the city, it is undeniable that these events typically increase the burden of waste on our landfills. Starting from the promotional phase to actual conduct, piled up thermocol, flexi boards, plastic sheets and various other forms of waste, many of them highly toxic, are generated during the life cycle of any event. Ironically, even many environmental events use flex banners and serve food…

The thrust on sustainability at a citizen’s level has been evident over the last few years with a steady leaning towards greener lifestyle choices among many Chennaiites. The profusion of news highlighting the threats and signs of climate change has caught the attention of the aware and sensitive, making them realise that the adoption of earth-friendly products and practices is no longer merely an option, but an imperative. But for many others, a major stumbling block still remains: “But what can I do as an individual?” Thankfully, there are a large number of people and organisations who are trying to…

Have you walked around your city lately, and observed the collapsed Electricity Board wires and mounds of garbage near various government departments? Or the remnants from so called developmental work undertaken by the state or the various parastatal agencies? Even as we talk about waste and what can be done to manage household/industrial waste more effectively, piles of unattended debris and confiscated vehicles dumped by various government departments stand as testimony to the inaction by the Tamil Nadu Government. While the Chennai Corporation is frequently under fire for being unable to check dumping of unprocessed waste near water bodies or…

If you are an environmentally conscious person, yearning to give back to Nature and the planet that sustains us, here is an opportunity in Chennai for you to know more and actually move towards translating your plans to action: the Reciprocity fest scheduled for the coming weekend (February 10-11th). Reciprocity concerns holistic sustainability, thus indicating that everyone is an affected stakeholder. Considering the steady rise in the mounds of waste in the city, the Reciprocity fest reiterates the need for citizens to join hands and do something to reduce and recycle waste. Seminars and discussions would be held on the…

It is sad, but common knowledge today that the city’s sewage ultimately ends up in the nearest lake or water body. In principle, the sewage from our homes should go to the pumping station via an underground sewerage connection. From the pumping station, this sewage should travel to the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), the primary function of which is to treat the sewage water through aerators, clarifiers etc. A study conducted by Arappor Iyakkam shows that untreated sewage water from different parts of the city are being let out in the three rivers—Adyar, Cooum and Kosasthalaiyar, apart from the lakes…

A strong stench of seafood fills the air at Ayindhu Gudisai Street in Chintadripet, which is a stone’s throw away from the banks of the Cooum river. As the sun descends slowly on a Friday evening, a group of lungi-clad men aimlessly banter about their day-to-day chores, while the women sip on their tea and play Daya kattam. Overpowering the Tamil song played from one of the MGR movies on the narrow street, the verses of Bharatiyar resonate through the entire locality. With a wide smile and excitement writ large on their faces, children repeat the verses after their teachers,…

In the hope that online procedures in the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) had improved and gave the user a smooth experience,  I tried to file an application for the renewal of my driving licence online through the ‘Parivahan’ portal, a few days ago. I was unable to complete the process and I received a message asking me to contact the local RTO office. I went to the RTO Chennai (North) early on the morning of Jan 29th to file the manual application Form 9 along with Form 7 as well as Form 1a and a medical certificate, duly completed along…

Walking along the beach for nearly 8 km and looking for nests of turtles, dead in the middle of the night, can be both fascinating and tiring. Watching an olive ridley turtle coming to shore to nest, a process that is older than dinosaurs, can be exhilarating. If not, the waves, the sand and the conversations around the environment we live in amongst people from different backgrounds can be rewarding. The fluorescent glow of the increasingly rare Noctilucas, a bioluminescent organism, adds to the beauty of the ‘turtle walk’. However, turtle conservation is not as easy as it sounds. It also…

The death of a 26-year-old intellectual disabled man in the city, two weeks ago, came as a rude shock to Chennaites, as it underlines two factors: absence of civic responsibility and apathy from the police department. M Praveen Kumar, who was waiting with his mother at Adyar gate to board a bus to his work place in Savera hotel, went missing after he got into another bus. Praveen’s mother lodged a complaint at the Teynampet police station and informed his colleagues, family and the volunteers of Vidyasagar, an organisation that works with people with psycho-social disabilities in Kotturpuram, and also…